


Proud

by mismatched_ideas



Series: It's Easier With You [9]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Anxiety, Confrontations, Gen, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Heart-to-Heart, Panic Attacks, Yuuri will commit murder to protect the people he cares about, people being rude assholes, side otayuri, side viktuuri, turns out Avery takes after their BFF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-08
Updated: 2017-08-08
Packaged: 2018-12-05 02:24:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11568354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mismatched_ideas/pseuds/mismatched_ideas
Summary: Yuuri would be proud of his student no matter how they placed, as long as they did their best. And he knew Yuri and Avery always did their best.He loved them both like his own kids.Now, with the Gran Prix Finals over, Yuuri found that he'd lost a student.





	Proud

**Author's Note:**

> Jesus Christ, I'm a piece of shit. This has been done for like a month and I've been too lazy to edit it. Sorry for the wait.

Yuuri was proud of his student. Not that he wasn’t always proud of his students, no matter how they placed, but he was just so proud of Yuri and Avery right now. Both had done amazing in the grand prix final, Avery’s first, and he was bursting with pride.

Up until now, none of his and Viktor's students had competed internationally in the senior division because they were too young. Most of their students who had been old enough either hadn’t qualified for any of the international finals or quit before really entering into senior competition. Now both Avery and Yuri were his students and they’d both made a great showing. Yuuri knew they were both anxious and this was especially exciting for Avery, who'd shown themself to be ready for senior competition despite some commentary that questioned their preparedness considering their less than spectacular showing in juniors the year earlier. 

But, fourth place as a sixteen-year-old against some of the stiffest competition the women’s finals had seen in years was more than amazing.

Mila had placed first, which wasn’t a surprise, and had done so by a mile. She’d come out in full force this final and Yuuri suspected it had something to do with the fact that her theme had been family and she’d just had a baby. Elisa was a cute little baby who was still too young to make the trip to see Mila compete but Yuuri was sure Sara and Elisa were watching from their apartment in Saint Petersburg.

But second, third, and fourth had all been close with Avery missing the podium by two points and missing second by six. It had been so amazingly close and nobody really knew what would happen at the next international championship and that was exciting. Four continents would be a real competition because of the top four, three would be competing there with Mila as the only European to win. Fifth had gone to a woman from France but sixth had gone to Mi-na Lee, Seung-gil's younger sister.

But then there was the men's finals. Then, there was Yuri.

If Yuuri was proud of Avery, he was even more so when it came to Yuri and he knew Avery was too. Avery might be friends with Yuri but they were also one of Yuri's biggest fans.

Yuri had been in second behind JJ before the free skate but Yuri had been magnificent. It had been their best skate in almost two years and it had been more than enough to pull them ahead to first. After getting their scores, Yuri had said something about going to find Otabek because they didn’t think they could stand to watch JJ right now.

Yuuri hadn’t talked to them since.

They’d showed up for the medal ceremony, of course, and for the mandatory pictures, but then Yuri had disappeared again. They hadn’t even been caught by any reporters that Yuuri had seen.

The thing was, Yuri had yet to make the announcement they were planning to make and Yuuri was worried they were panicking. He didn’t care is Yuri decided against making the announcement yet, that was their choice, but he wanted to make sure that they were okay. If they were with Otabek then they were probably fine but Yuuri wasn’t sure that’s where Yuri was.

“Viktor!” Yuuri called, finding Viktor and Otabek both watching a TV. “Otabek!”

“Sweetie, is something wrong?” Viktor asked, turning to Yuuri even as the dark-haired man turned to look at the TV.

“I can’t find Yuri. I was hoping they were with Otabek.”

The sports reporters on the TV turned their conversation to Yuri and now Yuuri was interested. He hadn’t really watched any reports on Yuri up until now but thought maybe that was a mistake because he doubted Yuri had been doing the same.

“Well, there was definitely something different about Plisetsky’s skating today.” The man, a former skater who’s name was escaping Yuuri, commented.

“It’s been there all season, wouldn’t you say?” The other commentator, a woman who used to be an ice dancer, leaned in a little. “Much different from his previous lackluster season.”

“What do you think changed?”

“Well, Yuuri Katsuki is the coach of two of the top skaters in the finals, so maybe he needed a change?”

“Maybe… but I think it was something else. His entire program was reminiscent of some of Viktor Nikiforov’s early skating.”

“That is a good way to win over the judges.” The woman laughed, “Especially since everyone knows Plisetsky was supposed to be the next Viktor Nikiforov.”

“I was surprised how much the judges liked him today.” The man had a look in his eyes that Yuuri didn’t like.

“Why’s that?”

“His free skate seemed terribly reminiscent of Viktor’s early days in a lot of ways, including the overt femininity of it. That’s fine for a sixteen year old genius but Plisetsky is a little old for that, don’t you think.” Viktor put a hand on Yuuri’s shoulder, already aware that Yuuri’s blood was boiling. Yuuri had had to deal with a little bit of commentary like this in his first season with Viktor as his coach so he knew how much it could hurt.

“I’m going to kill him.” Yuuri murmured to his husband who didn't say anything to encourage Yuuri’s planned violence but who wasn’t necessarily going to stop Yuuri if he decided murder was a good plan of action.

“And that costume… I know we’ve seen it before but it was so obvious today, don’t you think?” To the other commentator’s credit, she looked uncomfortable with the tone of the man’s voice as well as his words. “That looked like the mixed up costumes with Plisetsky’s American counterpart, Avery.”

“Ah, yes, Avery was wonderful wasn’t she?” The woman asked, obviously hoping to change the subject. “Now there’s a girl who’s going places.”

Yuuri hoped the two skaters didn’t watch a lot of news about them because for as much as Yuuri knew his skaters were strong that didn’t mean he wanted them to hear this. It was one thing to have to listen to them unknowingly misgendering Yuri but between their misgendering of Avery, who they should know isn’t a she, and the man’s snide comments about Yuri’s costume, Yuuri was about ready to find them both and teach them what happens when they insult Yuuri Katsuki’s students.

When Yuuri was younger he thought that skating was a place where people could go and be who they were without fear of judgment but time had shown him how naïve that was. This was performance art as much as it was a sport and if you didn’t have a think skin, things got hard quickly.

“I’m going to find Yuri.” Yuuri turned then paused, “Have you seen Avery?”

“I haven’t.” Viktor said and Otabek shook his head.

“Well, fuck.” Yuuri commented evenly, wondering where in the world both his senior skaters could be. “We should probably find them before reporters do.”

\---

Yuri had never been this nervous in their entire life. Not even when they’d first come out to their family and friends. Definitely not before a competition. They’d not even been this nervous when they asked Otabek out.

They retched again, throwing up mostly bile this time. There hadn’t been much in their stomach to begin with but now they’d thrown up the little food and any water that was there but they still couldn’t stop.

During JJ’s free skate Yuri had found Otabek and the man had pretty easily calmed Yuri down but while they were all on the podium and while they were taking pictures Yuri could feel their nausea rising and once they were allowed to leave, they’d made quick work of finding the most remote bathroom in the rink.

“You going to be okay?”

Yuri shouted, the noise only partially drowned out by the sound of the door closing behind Avery.

“How’d you find me?” Yuri asked weakly, really not wanting Avery to see them like this.

“You disappeared so I looked for the most remote bathroom in this place.” Yuri laughed at this. Of course Avery would have the exact same thought process.

“You didn’t have to come find me. I’m fine by myself.”

“I know.” Avery smirked. “It would be pretty pathetic if you needed a sixteen-year-old to be okay.”

“Thanks, you’re very flattering,” Yuri said, glad for the distraction from their own thoughts. “I still don’t get why you came.”

“It was me or Yuuri. You should have known one of us would find you.” They smiled. “Viktor and Otabek are probably looking for you too but they won’t figure out where you are very quickly. They’ll check bathrooms but this’ll be the last one.”

“You know a lot for a sixteen-year-old,” Yuri pointed out. “Why you? I get Yuuri but…”

“I’m kind of offended,” Avery said but didn’t look at all offended. “Aren't I your Enby Buddy?”

“What?”

“That’s gotta’ be what you’re nervous about. You’re planning to come out to everyone, aren’t you?” Yuri looked down at the tiles that they were sitting on, wondering why they’d only told Yuuri. And wondering if it was really that obvious. “Are you actually gonna’ to do it?”

“Yah, I have to. I can’t keep pretending anymore, it hurts my skating too much.”

“If skating is your only reason then you’re an idiot.”

“What?”

Avery raised an eyebrow. “If making your skating better is the only reason you coming out, then you’re an idiot because your skating is just fine. People don’t need to be told who you are for your skating to tell them who you are.”

“Fuck, I’m actually being lectured by a sixteen-year-old.” Yuri leaned against the toilet behind them, mentally remembering to get his entire outfit dry-cleaned twice just to be sure. “You sound like Viktor when you talk like that. And a little like Yuuri, but mostly Viktor.”

“Thanks.”

“That wasn’t a compliment.” Yuri sighed, “You saw me last season, I was a mess.”

“Because you were trying to be something you weren’t. You were trying to be who they wanted you to be. You’re skating this season was amazing because you stopped worrying about them. Not everyone can afford to be themselves in front of the judges but you can because you shine when you’re you. If I was true to myself, really true to myself, I’d do worse because that’s not what the judges will ever want and I’m not a genius. I can’t mold the judges to whatever I want like Viktor or Yuuri could. Not like you can.” Avery gave Yuri a look that was familiar for a reason Yuri couldn’t quite place. “Now get off the fucking floor and decide what you actually want to do.”

Avery turned on their heel and left, pulling the door open just as Yuuri was opening it.

“Avery!” Yuuri blinked at the young skater, “Is Yuri here?”

“They’re in there.” Avery pointed a thumb back at the toilet stalls. “I’ll go tell Viktor and Otabek everything’s okay.”

Yuuri blinked when Avery brushed past him and headed back towards the main area.

“Familiar, right?” Yuri poked their head out of the stall, standing slowly. “I just figured it out. I thought Avery was like Viktor or you but they’re not.”

“Oh my god.” Yuuri laughed, wondering if Avery was spending too much time with Yuri. “Did you just get chewed out by a teenager in a bathroom?”

“Shut up at least I wasn’t crying.” But Yuri smirked, and actually felt a little better. “It’s not like I deserved it. You did.”

“Okay, sure. I’m sorry my dog died and I had a panic attack.”

“I was trying to tell you not to give up!” Yuri turned on the sink, washing their face carefully. They were glad they used waterproof makeup, this way it wouldn’t look as much like he’d cleaned his mouth.

“You’re worse than Viktor.” Yuuri laughed, before getting more serious. “What did Avery say to you?”

“They said that coming out to make my skating better was stupid.”

“They’re not wrong.” Yuri gaped at the older man. “What? If it’s just for skating then why come out? It’ll just be a pain for you.”

“But I want to.” Yuri insisted and Yuuri smiled.

“That, Yuri, is the right reason.” He patted the blond on the shoulder, the younger of the two suddenly feeling _much_ younger. “I know skating is a part of you but don’t do it for skating. Do it for yourself, that’s the only way you’ll survive what comes text.”

Yuri took a deep breath and smiled, “Yah… you’re right.” Their smile turned into a smirk. “Was that your dad talk?”

“My what?” Yuuri asked, following Yuri out of the bathroom.

“Your dad talk.” Yuri took a breath, trying to steel themselves for the storm they’d probably created by disappearing. “The way you talk to your kids when you give them your sage old man advice.”

“Old man, huh?” Yuuri gave him a mocking look, “This coming from the seasoned competitor who just got scolded by a fresh-faced newbie.”

“If you tell Viktor about that I’ll kill you.”

“Sure you will, Kitten.”

“Shut-up, Pig.”

For a moment the glared playfully at each other and then the moment ended when they turned a corner and someone with a camera caught sight of them.

Yuuri leaned closer to Yuri, “Go get them, Tiger.”

**Author's Note:**

> I have two fics that come after this but they're both still pretty seriously WIPs. 
> 
> One is the press conference and I'm not sure if I'll ever actually post that. 
> 
> The other is the time between the GPF and Russian Nationals and deals a little more with Otabek and Yuri living/training together. I might add another chapter to that, it needs to be edited, and I have to decide if I like it. It's a little dramatic and I'm not sure if I like how I wrote Otabek and Yuri so... 
> 
> I might actually put out a completely different fic before those, more about Viktor, Yuuri, Andrew, and Noa because Andrew and Noa are my babies. (I finished editing a fic for the future that's about Andrew when he's like 17 and god save me I love him so much)


End file.
